Law School: Tips and Stats
Advice on how to get into law school—and how to make it out
Smart Choices
For its 2009 Salary Guide, Robert Half Legal asked 300 lawyers which areas of practice offer the most opportunities over the next 10 years. Top 5: corporate and securities, litigation, intellectual property, international law, and environmental.
Insider Tip
Specialization isn't the only way to gain practical know-how in law school. Participating in legal clinics will give you the experience to impress potential employers. Nearly every school of law now offers its students a chance to gain courtroom experience. Among the newest: an immigration law clinic at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, a project in social enterprise and economic development aimed at small businesses at the University of Tulsa College of Law, and a national security and human-rights clinic at the University of Texas.
Getting In
Score High. On your GPA and your LSAT. Not that you can be reduced to just a number, but they're considered two of the best predictors of success. GPAs that get better by the year can demonstrate maturity and make up for a poor freshman year.
Your Essay. Your personal statement allows you to emotionally connect with the overworked admit dean, but it's less important than you'd imagine. Use it to put some meat on the bare bones of your acronyms (see above). Having something to write about is also critical (see below).
Are You Experienced? Work experience is a great topic for personal statements. Volunteering for a legal aid society or working as a legal intern shows you've invested time in the field—and have an inkling of what you're getting into.
Know Your Audience. Find out where past graduates have landed. If the strengths of the school are aligned with your own ambitions, your application has a better chance.
Reality Check
- Robert Half Legal projects average starting salaries will show little increase in '09, but young associates at big firms are still forecast to make $112,250-$138,250
- Your colleagues at big law firms with 10 years' experience will be averaging $173,500-$240,000
- Average compensation for first-year associates at small law firms: $50,250-$73,000
- Base compensation for mid-level paralegals at large law firms is expected to rise to $51,500-$65,500; for top legal secretaries, to $56,000-$71,500
- Legal specialty most likely to see a salary increase: contract administrator (forecast for four-plus years' experience: $57,750-$93,000)
- Reality Check Source: Robert Half Legal
Reader Comments
Immigration maritime and travel law
I was wondering which USA schools have the best programs for going into immigration, maritime or travel law? I want to open my own practice and have no interest in biglaw. I have a 3.0 and 158 LSAT so we can skip the top 25 law schools. :-)
Justin is a dick
Justin, every now and then I when I find this articles I see comments like yours from people like you. Evidently, It is extremely important for you to show how awesome you are by making dismissive comments charged with a faint resemblance of cleverness. How pathetic!
I wonder if all "great" people like you feel it is important to find articles like this online and then spend their precious time putting anonymous people down. I believe you are an idiot.
UCLA law '94
answers
Howard - Third tier schools aren't ranked because they are all roughly equally poor schools, with mostly regional employment prospects upon graduation. Technically, schools ranked 51-100 are second tier.
Mark - If you can't phrase questions using proper english, or understand how comments differ from email, law school is not for you. Keep fixing cars or waiting tables. Don't waste your money taking the LSAT - you won't get accepted anywhere.
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